Effects of Breathing Exercises on Cognition in Older Adults

March 29, 2026 updated by: Deema Almurad, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Comparing Different Breathing Exercises Added to Balance Training on Cognitive and Functional Outcomes in Elderly Population

The goal of this interventional clinical trial is to investigate the effects of breathing exercises added to balance training on cognitive function in individuals aged 65 years and older.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do breathing exercises affect cognition? Do different breathing exercises affect cognition in different ways?

Researchers will administer two different breathing protocols and evaluate cognition before and after each protocol.

Participants will take part in an 8-week program consisting of sessions that include 30 minutes of balance-based exercises and 15 minutes of breathing exercises. Sessions will be held twice weekly under the supervision of a physical therapist.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 65 years and older
  • Able to walk independently
  • Suitable for light to moderate physical activity
  • Willing and able to attend 2 sessions per week for 8 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Underwent surgery within the last 6 months
  • Currently participating in another structured rehabilitation program
  • Neurological disorders that significantly restrict mobility (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Inspiratory Muscle Training
Other: Balance Training Program
A structured balance-based exercise program (30 minutes per session) designed to reduce fall risk and improve functional performance.
Other: Inspiratory Muscle Training
Training performed using a threshold device to strengthen inspiratory muscles for 15 minutes with intensity set individually and progressively adjusted.
Experimental: Breathing Exercises
Other: Balance Training Program
A structured balance-based exercise program (30 minutes per session) designed to reduce fall risk and improve functional performance.
Other: Breathing Exercise Program
Breathing exercises aimed at improving lung function and respiratory health, including diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing. Exercises will be performed for 15 minutes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is used to assess global cognitive function. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Spirometry Parameters (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC Ratio)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks
Spirometry will be used to assess pulmonary function, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Higher values indicate better pulmonary function.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks
Maximal Inspiratory and Expiratory Pressures (MIP/MEP)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks
Respiratory muscle strength will be assessed using maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) measurements. Higher values indicate greater respiratory muscle strength.
From enrollment to the end of intervention at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 17, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 29, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025/712

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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